Deanna McFadden

An abridged retelling of the tale, set in medieval Paris, of Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and his struggles to save the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda from being unjustly executed.

good - ML

Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, set in New England during the Civil War, has always captivated even the most reluctant readers. Little girls, especially, love following the adventures of the four March sisters--Meg, Beth, Amy, and most of all, the tomboy Jo--as they experience the joys and disappointments, tragedies and triumphs, of growing up. This simpler version captures all the charm and warmth of the original.

Eleven-year-old Rebecca Randall is quite a handful--and now she's leaving her beloved Sunnybrook Farm to live with her well-to-do elderly aunts and get an education. But they were expecting Rebecca's quiet, hard-working older sister instead. Can the bright-eyed and talkative girl win them over...especially her strict, rule-bound Aunt Miranda? Just as Rebecca's "grand spirit" charms everyone in the story, it will captivate readers, too.